"I solemnly consecrate my silver to Jehovah for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol (Judges 17:3b)."
The mother of Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, made this declaration. You might judge her and say, "Didn't she read the Ten Words? Didn't she realize that making an image of Jehovah is a violation of the Second Word (commandment): "You shall not make for your self an idol in the form of anything . . . (Exodus 20:4)?"
Yet all actions and practices must be viewed "in context." In the context of the period of Israel's history called "Judges" we read, "After the whole generation (that of Joshua and Caleb) had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither Jehovah, nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelite did evil in the eyes of Jehovah and served the Baals. They forsook Jehovah . . . and worshiped various gods of the people around them (Judges 2:10ff)." So even though what Micah and his mother did violated one of the commands of God, they were not held accountable for their ignorance. God overlooked their grave error, because of the intentions of their hearts. They desired to honor the God who had been with Israel from the beginning. They desired to reverence that God as the living present Spirit of Life.
The Psalmist celebrates this reality by singing:
"Jehovah is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's love for those who reverence Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so Jehovah has compassion on those who reverence His name; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:8-14).
There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect Jews. There are no perfect Muslims. There are no perfect Wiccans, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Taoists. There are no perfect seekers of truth. There are no perfect people. There are no perfect, flawless champions of justice, peace and love. Each of us is held responsible for "the Light we have been given (Romans 2:14-15)," That is who we are at our best. Of course none of us is always at our best. We fall far short of what we claim to believe and love and hold dear.
The old Methodist Episcopal (Anglican) Eucharistic liturgy reminds us that "we sin daily by thought, word and deed against Thy divine majesty . . . provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent. . . are heartily sorry. . . yet it is Thy 'property' ALWAYS TO HAVE MERCY. . . . So we pray: have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us MOST MERCIFUL FATHER. For thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please Thee in newness of life."
These words are there because they remind God and remind us of the true character of God and God's true disposition towards us. God is always loving, forgiving, patient, kind, understanding, and expects and invites us to likewise relate to and respond to each other. Of course, again, we fall short of these best sentiments, but they are worthy goals to pursue in all relationships. As one writer expressed it, "We fall down, but we get up." Praise God!
Therefore we must be careful about judging and condemning ourselves and each other. Just because someone disagrees with us does not mean they are wrong and we are right. Just because someone's practices seem "sinful" or "ungodly" or "unloving" or "unjust" to us, does not mean that God does not love them, understand them, support them, and seek to nurture and form LIFE in them until they (and us) are changed into the "divine spiritual likeness of the One Spirit of Life." It is that very condition that God promises to create in us, in accordance with our faith. We too quickly paint "the other" the "different" or the "dissenter" as an adversary, when conversation, dialogue, and breaking of artificial barriers between "us" and "them" can produce understanding and common ground.
Sooner or later we discover that the idols we use to get to God, no matter what religious formula they represent, are that and nothing more. This realization comes sooner rather than later, when we cease to make snap judgments and condemnations of those we deem "adversaries" and people who "just don't get it" or are "hopelessly lost" or "rigidly intolerant." Indeed God is Spirit, and the true worshipers do and will worship God in SPIRIT and TRUTH--but most importantly, in LOVE.
The mother of Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, made this declaration. You might judge her and say, "Didn't she read the Ten Words? Didn't she realize that making an image of Jehovah is a violation of the Second Word (commandment): "You shall not make for your self an idol in the form of anything . . . (Exodus 20:4)?"
Yet all actions and practices must be viewed "in context." In the context of the period of Israel's history called "Judges" we read, "After the whole generation (that of Joshua and Caleb) had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither Jehovah, nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelite did evil in the eyes of Jehovah and served the Baals. They forsook Jehovah . . . and worshiped various gods of the people around them (Judges 2:10ff)." So even though what Micah and his mother did violated one of the commands of God, they were not held accountable for their ignorance. God overlooked their grave error, because of the intentions of their hearts. They desired to honor the God who had been with Israel from the beginning. They desired to reverence that God as the living present Spirit of Life.
The Psalmist celebrates this reality by singing:
"Jehovah is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's love for those who reverence Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so Jehovah has compassion on those who reverence His name; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:8-14).
There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect Jews. There are no perfect Muslims. There are no perfect Wiccans, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Taoists. There are no perfect seekers of truth. There are no perfect people. There are no perfect, flawless champions of justice, peace and love. Each of us is held responsible for "the Light we have been given (Romans 2:14-15)," That is who we are at our best. Of course none of us is always at our best. We fall far short of what we claim to believe and love and hold dear.
The old Methodist Episcopal (Anglican) Eucharistic liturgy reminds us that "we sin daily by thought, word and deed against Thy divine majesty . . . provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent. . . are heartily sorry. . . yet it is Thy 'property' ALWAYS TO HAVE MERCY. . . . So we pray: have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us MOST MERCIFUL FATHER. For thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please Thee in newness of life."
These words are there because they remind God and remind us of the true character of God and God's true disposition towards us. God is always loving, forgiving, patient, kind, understanding, and expects and invites us to likewise relate to and respond to each other. Of course, again, we fall short of these best sentiments, but they are worthy goals to pursue in all relationships. As one writer expressed it, "We fall down, but we get up." Praise God!
Therefore we must be careful about judging and condemning ourselves and each other. Just because someone disagrees with us does not mean they are wrong and we are right. Just because someone's practices seem "sinful" or "ungodly" or "unloving" or "unjust" to us, does not mean that God does not love them, understand them, support them, and seek to nurture and form LIFE in them until they (and us) are changed into the "divine spiritual likeness of the One Spirit of Life." It is that very condition that God promises to create in us, in accordance with our faith. We too quickly paint "the other" the "different" or the "dissenter" as an adversary, when conversation, dialogue, and breaking of artificial barriers between "us" and "them" can produce understanding and common ground.
Sooner or later we discover that the idols we use to get to God, no matter what religious formula they represent, are that and nothing more. This realization comes sooner rather than later, when we cease to make snap judgments and condemnations of those we deem "adversaries" and people who "just don't get it" or are "hopelessly lost" or "rigidly intolerant." Indeed God is Spirit, and the true worshipers do and will worship God in SPIRIT and TRUTH--but most importantly, in LOVE.
No comments:
Post a Comment